Macbeth Essay: Peer Editor’s Guide
Author’s Name:______Editor’s Name:______
Directions: Place a check by each area that is correct. DO NOT check off if any part of the statement is missing. Instead, circle the missing part andnote the correction to be made on the essay draft.
The Basics
______The paper has the author’s name in the header but no formal paper header.
______The paper has an interesting (not too cute) centered and appropriately capitalized title.
- “Topic: Interesting Phrase” is a great format for titles
______The paperis double-spaced or 1.5 spaced.
______The paragraph is in a boring 12pt. font.
______The paper is almost exactly3pages long.
______The essay is several (five or more) paragraphs long.
______The essay begins with an introduction paragraph that ends with a thesis statement
______The essay ends with a conclusion paragraph that begins with a restatement of the thesis.
Introduction Paragraph:
______The first paragraph is clearly an introduction.
There is some sort of hook at the beginning
It is clear to a reader what the author’s thesis is in the first paragraph
The introductory paragraph includes the italicized play title and the correctly-spelled name of the author
The word choice engages the reader’s interest but is not overdone
______The lastsentenceof the first paragraph is clearly a thesis.
Unique, highly individual, clear, provable argument
One sentence only
Coherent ideas are communicated about the text
There is an impactful “so what” at the end of the thesis
Placed appropriately in the paper
The word choice engages the reader’s interest but is not overdone
Check Each Body Paragraph:
______Organization
The paragraph begins with a BTS (topic sentence) that vividly articulates what aspect of the thesis you’re going to prove in the paragraph
Fluent transitional phrases
The paragraph ends with a CS (concluding sentence) that provides resolution and hints at ideas presented in the next paragraph
______Evidence
Have you analyzed the impact of specific words in your evidence?
Strongly supports thesis
Clear, relevant and literarily complex—quote invites figurative and literal analysis
Comes from appropriate sources
All evidence (quotes) is introduced with a lead-in that refers to details from the text
- No: In Act III, Macduff says“Blah Blah.” (III, i, 26)
- Yes: Before heading to England, Macduff says “Blah Blah.” (III, i, 26)
All evidence (quotes) is properly cited with the (Act, Scene, Line)
No evidence is paraphrased—all quotations for Shakespearean Literary Analysis
______Analysis
Does your analysis refer to specific words in your evidence and the effect/significance of those words?
Creative, complex, clear, and original understanding of the text/content
The analysis is focused on how Shakespeare uses language and literary conventions to convey ideas about the world
Explains how the evidence supports the thesis
The word choice engages the reader’s interest but is not overdone
______Concluding Paragraph
Begins with a restatement of the thesis IN DIFFERENT WORDS
No new information is introduced in the conclusion
At least one sentence after the thesis leaves the reader feeling glad they read the essay
Word Choice Diagnosis
Sentence# / First Word / Second Word / Sentence
# / First Word / Second Word
1 / 11
2 / 12
3 / 13
4 / 14
5 / 15
6 / 16
7 / 17
8 / 18
9 / 19
10 / 20
**If you find any repetition in the beginning of your sentences, you must revise the sentence on your draft so each has a unique beginning.
Next, read through the paragraph, and edit for the following easily avoidable mistakes:
Objective: Write in a formal academic voice.
- _____Are all numbers under ten written out in letters?
- _____Have you removed as many “to be” verbs as you can to avoid passive voice: am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been?
- _____ Have you marked each instance of passive voice (PV—Blood imagery is used…) so they can be changed to active voice (Shakespeare uses blood imagery…)
- _____ Is the whole essay written in the present tense? Always write about fiction in the present tense.
- _____Has the author referred to people in a correct manner? (full name first time, last name on 2nd reference)
- _____Have you started any sentences with “This shows …” or “This proves …”? Revise to remove those superfluous sentence starters.
- _____ Assure that there are no sentences that contain the words “I”, “me”, “my”, “our”, or “we” as the use of the first person is not formal enough for academic writing.
- ______Does every “this” in the paper have a specific noun after it to avoid ambiguity?
Objective: Analyze the effect of the author’s literary choices
- _____Does the writer routinely—for each and every relevant quote—analyze the way that Shakespeare uses literary conventions to prove what they’re saying about the text is true?
- _____ Does the writer routinely mention the author’s name and focus their analysis on the literary choices the author made in their analysis?
Objective: Avoid speculation.
- _____Have you checked that you have not used the following words, which lead to speculative analysis: would, could, should, may, might, probably … ?
Objective: Avoid generalization.
- _____Have you checked for words that lead to generalizations like many, everybody, all, people, history, society, …?
Objective: Avoid absolutes.
- _____Has the author ever used the following words, which lead to overstating truth: everyone, everybody, all people, etc … ? If so, mark them to be revised. Narrow the scope of the group.
Objective: Use BREVITY AND CLARITY as guiding editorial principles.
- In the editor’s opinion, how clear (10) or confusing (1) are the
- ______Ideas the student-author discusses?
- ______Words the student-author uses?
- ______Organization of the ideas in the paper?
- ______The paper as a whole?
Editors, close with several general comments below about the draft’s strengths and areas of the draft that could be improved.
Objective: Submit your paper on time for assessment. Your final draft of your essay is due to turnitin.com on Monday, 11/21 at 3:00 P.M.